Fashion mechanism



Nov. 19, 1946. o. FREGEOLLE 2,411,255

FASHION MECHANISM Filed March 22, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 19, 1946. o. FREGEOLLE FASHION MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 22, 1945 ll-Ill.

Z w Z W ma m 3 Patented Nov. 19, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FASHION MECHANISM Oscar Fregeolle, Central Falls, R. I., assignor to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R. L, a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 22, 1945, Serial No. 584.179

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in fashion mechanisms of knitting machines for regulating loop length in various sections of the stocking such as the top, leg, etc., or within any of these sections. The mechanism shown is adapted for use in a circular independent needle knitting machine of the Banner type but the invention is not limited to machines of this type or to circular knitting machines.

It has been customary to vary the length of the loops in various parts of a stocking to obtain desired characteristics, accommodate yarns of different weight and secure a certain amount of shaping. Heretofore the common means for this purpose has been a fashion bracket such as that shown in U. S. Patents #2,30'7,969 and #2,369,780 whereby the length of the loops knitted at one or more cam blocks is controlled.

Fashion brackets of this kind occupy considerable space and are usually positioned close to a pattern drum on the main cam shaft by means of which they are operated and where space is at a premium. They have also been operated from an auxiliary cam shaft driven from the main cam shaft as shown in the Patent #2307,- 969 referred to but they are still rather bulky and difficult to install. Their bulkiness results in the fact that they contain a considerable number of plungers side by side in parallel relation so that they may be engaged by an equivalent number of cams in individual rows on the pattern drum.

Where a single fashion bracket has been used to regulate stitch length at both the main and auxiliary sides of the machine some difficulty has been encountered in providing suitable connections which will insure that both knitting cam blocks respond accurately to the action of the fashion bracket. It is not practicable to use two fashion brackets of this sort, one for one cam block and the other for the other because of space limitations. In addition, in such brackets no means has been devised for making a quick over all adjustment or for indexing the various adjustments so that they can be repeated without experimentation.

Fashion brackets of this type are generally used for obtaining the different stitch lengths required for major sections of a stocking. Progressive variation of stitch length in a given section of the stocking such as in the leg by means of which it is fashioned or shaped have been secured by additional means. The invention of this application is capable of performing all of the operations of the usual fashion bracket and,

2 if desired, those of the leg fashioning mechanism as well. As shown, it is associated with a single knitting cam block, the idea being that so little space is occupied by it that separate devices can be used for each cam block thus providing the shortest and best possible connections to each cam block and eliminating any probability of inaccurate response. The form of the invention shown herein is designed especially for a Banner type circular, independent needle, knitting machine, as previously stated.

In the drawings:

1 Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a fashioning disc and the parts directly associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a detail view partly in section along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of a section of the edge of the fashion disc;

Fig. 4 is a general side elevation of the fashion disc, a knitting cam block and the connections therebetween;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the connections directly associated with the knitting cam block;

Fig. 6 is a top view of an adjusting screw whereby a quick over all adjustment of stitch length can be obtained; and

Fig. '7 is an enlarged view of one of the cams of the fashion mechanism. of this invention showing particularly the spherical contour of its camming surface.

As shown, the fashioning mechanism consists of a disc I having arim 2 and a hub 3 keyed to a shaft 4 which is the auxiliary cam shaft of the knitting machine. This shaft may be driven, if desired, from the main cam shaft by means of a train of gears such as that shown in Fig. 5 of Patent #2301969. Disc I is; recessed on one side as shown in Fig. 3 to provide an annular space between rim .2 and hub 3 for the reception of a renewable insert 5 of fiber or other suitable'material which is kept in place by any suitable means such as screws 6 passing through the'fiber disc and entering disc I. Preferably the edges of fiber insert 5 are tapered a little as shown in Fig. 2 and the shape of its inner face is such that all but its outer edge is spaced from the bottom of the recess. The reason for this will be explained later. i

Rim 2 of the fashion disc is provided with a plurality of radially positioned adjustable cams 1 by means of which the length of the loops knit at the cam block with which the fashion disc is associated may be determined throughout the knitting of the stocking. Y

Each cam I is in the form of a machine screw threaded stem 9 passing through a threaded opening in the rim 2 of the fashion disc and into fiber insert as best shown in Fig. 2. The top II] of each cam is spherical, formed from a center corresponding with that of the fashion disc so that every part of this top is equidistant from that center. Each cam is also pierced with one,

or more holes II whereby it can be turned by a suitable wrench to screw it it in or out of rim 2 to vary its height. The purpose of fiber insert 5 is to grip the stem 9 of each cam I so that it will retain such adjustments Without the assistance of lock nuts or other inconvenient devices. The disc is shaped as described above and as shown in Fig. 2 so that in case its grip upon stem 9 becomes insuflicient it can be distorted slightly by tightening up screws 6 so that it will bear more firmly against stem 9.

I The top of each cam 1 may also be provided with an indicator I2 as shown in Fig 3 to enable all of the cams to be set in a given position, if desired, and to assist in indicating the extent of small adjustments Positioned directly above fashion disc I, so that it is free to rest upon any cam 1 directly below it, is an adjustable lifter I3. The stem of this lifter is threaded through the end Id of an arm I5 and also through a fiber disc I6 held in a fork in the end I4. The 'upper end of lifter I3 is provided with a knurled knob H by means of which it can be screwed in or out. Fiber disc I6 serves the same purpose as fiber insert 5, i. e., to hold lifter I3 in any of its adjusted positions.

' As shown in Fig. 4, arm I5 is pivoted at a point I8 adjacent the back of the machine. Knitting cam block I9 is mounted upon the usual plate 2|] which" in turn is supported by. a flat vertical slide 2i, the lower end '22 of which rests upon the top of arm I5 as shown. This point is more or less midway between the two ends of arm I5. By this arrangement a relatively large movement of arm I5 is reflected in a small movement of slide 2! and cam block I9 so that fine adjustmerits of loop length can be secured by relatively coarse adjustments of lifter I3.

is lming that the knitting. machine is capable of 48 moves, fashion disc I is, preferably, provided with 48 cams I, one for each of these As will now be obvious, as one cam l passesfrom under lifter I3 and is supplanted by another cam; arm I5 will be unaifected or will rise or fall depending upon whether the adjustment of the new cam is the same or higher or lower than he ece n a a d this will be proportionately reflected in the vertical position of cam block I9. Thus any number of different earn block adjustments up to 48 can be obtained although the maximum number is usually less than this for the reason that the fashion disc is operated indirectly from the main cam shaft some of the operations of which include more than one normal move. However, it is obviously possible to operate fashion disc I from an independent source so that its full complement of moves can be utilized.

Because each cam 'I is capable of extremely small adjustment a series of them may be used in place of the usual long graduated cam of the usual fashioning disc such as that shown in Patent #2,369,'780 to progressively alter thev height of cam block I9 and, consequently, the height of the'stitch cams in relation to the needles during the knitting of the leg or any other desired part Of the stocking.

It is well known that the stitches produced by a knitting machine, when it is first started and,

particularly, if it is cold, vary appreciably from those obtained after it has warmed'up. Therefore, the fabric produced'at one time is different than that produced at another. The amount of adjustment required to compensate for this can be ascertained but, obviously, it is not practicable to adjust all of cams I repeatedly. With this invention this is unnecessary because a turn of knob ll of lifter I3 in one direction or the other will produce a corresponding change in the height of cam block l9 for all of cams I without altering the indivdual adjustments of these cams. This adjustment of lifter I3 can be made very easily and as often as necessary without stopping the machine so that no loss in production results. The same conditions are more than likely. to occur each day. Therefore, to enable the knitter to repeat the stitch length adjustmer ts, the top of knob II is preferably indexed, as diagrammatically indicated at 23 in Fig. 6, so that he can set the cam block at a glance to' the same setting each day and make the other subsequent adjustments in the same way."

The fashion disc of this invention occupies very little space laterally of the machine so that much needed space formerly occupied by the fashion bracket is available for other uses. This also makes it practicable to use a separate fashion disc for each cam block and to so position it that Referring again to the indicator I2 on the top of each cam preferably these are made after the disc has been mounted on an arbor and all of the cams I adjusted to the same height measured from the center of the disc. If the threads on the stems of each cam I are accurately cut and the indicators I2 are all made to point in the s line direction, all or any of the cams can be adjusted to a desired height simply by lining up the indicators I2.

I claim:

1. A fashion mechanism which includes a rotatable disc provided with a flange and a plurality of radially adjustable, radially directed cams on said flange each having a head with a camming surface, all points of which are equidistant from the center of said disc.

2. A fashion mechanism which includes a rotatable disc provided with a flange, and a plurality of adjustable, radially directed, cams havsaid flange and said fibrous liner and means forj distorting said fibrous liner.

1 LA fashion mechanism which includes a rotatable disc provided with a flange, a fibrous liner,

within said flange, a plurality of adjustable, radially directed cams having stems threaded into 6. A fashion mechanism which includes a rosaid flange and said liner. tatable disc, radially directed cams threaded 5. A fashion mechanism which includes a rothrough the periphery of said disc and a fibrous tatable disc provided with a flange, a fibrous liner element upon said disc, said cams also being within said flange and a plurality of adjustable, 5 threaded into said fibrous element. radially directed cams held by said flange and said liner. OSCAR FREGEOLLE. 

